Battle Cry of the Slaves
by Spyff921
Summary: R for Violence. During a time of warriors, in a land of mystery, everyone is always in suspicion of one another, a two rebel groups will clash with their objectives and it will become a struggle of wit.
1. Battle Cry of the Slaves Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
The cries from the dark reached up from the belly of the great arena. Many cried in pain or despair, whips cracking and the chains clinking resounded through the thick air. Men and women, all slaves, were begging for their release from their confinements. The screams of the pain and the frightened and the feeling of total horror ripped into Shi's mind. He watched as he was shoved and hauled down long corridors with hands reaching out for release from their confinements. As they went past the outstretched limbs, the guard turned and hit the arms that reached for help and Shi heard the sound of bones cracking. He winced and turned to look at the terror in some of the slaves' faces. Either he found fear or an empty person who saw nothing, accepting their fate. He turned his eyes back to the path in front of him.   
  
He wore only a loincloth that was provided for the slaves. His thin frame deceived the eye, not showing the strength behind his frail exterior. His dark black hair was tangled as it hung around his shoulders and a scar running down his cheek and ending right under his ear. He heard one of the guards talking to another. He said he was to be part of the group that would fight in the arena, only to be slaughtered by the warriors that came in to fight for the title,' Patron.' He and the others that were to be sent in were only to be used as warm up for the warriors that competed. Not many would survive and they knew it. Shi watched as he was halted in front of a cell where it was filled with men and women. The women were all wearing loincloths and ripped tops that cut off over the stomach. Their hands chained all of them together and they stood staring off into a nothing that existed only to them. Shi would be one of them now. He was dragged in by his hair and was clubbed when he showed some resistance. His nose was bleeding now as his hands were roughly confined into the too small cuffs. The sounds of chains rang out and imprinted into his mind. Soon… very soon they would take them out. She carried an aura around her that made him tense as well as everyone else in the cell. Everyone avoided her and dared not to touch her. Her eyes held death. Her long blond hair was dirty and in thick strings and her blue eyes were hard and cold as she found him staring over at her. She gave him a cold smile that was not meant to comfort him. She knew she was as good as dead, but by the gods, she was going to fight. Shi looked away at the bars that held him in, the torch light flickered as the guards continued to bring in more slaves for the slaughter. The people would love to watch. They were only seeing a game before them, no more, only their fellow humans being killed.   
  
Shi's head turned as he heard the shuffling of a large amount of feet. He watched as about 20 women, old and young, were brought in and chained as well. The young woman from earlier seemed to wear a look of recognition as did the others. They nodded to each other and there was no further sign of connections. Something was strange with this whole situation. Unlike the other prisoners, these women all looked anxious and ready to go out, just like that young woman. Shi shrugged it off and began to pray to the gods that his soul should be lifted up to a better place and that he should be worthy to enter their realm of safe haven.   
  
Suddenly, and too soon, they were all being pulled out from their cell and being taken down a long corridor, all inked by their hands. The hands that were once hanging out from the cells pulled back into their confinements, recognizing the sign that these were walking dead slaves. All eyes were attached on the sacrifices for the game.   
  
As the line approached the entrance, Shi resisted the urge to shield his eyes from the bright light of the sun. Others would have wanted the sunlight, but to him, it meant death. Darkness was his sanctuary. The guards pulled the line into the middle of the arena and began to unchain all the slaves. All of the men were left with only their cuffs dangling on their wrists, leaving them free to move their hands around as they pleased. The women, on the other hand, were left with their wrists chained together. Some of the women turned to beg the guards to take the chains from them so that they would have a better chance of survival. They were merely slapped and told to be silent. The young woman and the others that had come in later did not beg for their release, they all stood next to each other. A young woman in that group stepped out and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. She nodded her head in a farewell and good tidings to the next life. Her hair was so black that it almost showed purple and her eyes were dark violet. The two had met before. Shi remembered hearing that the slaves more likely to survive are the men. He knew it was unjust, but no slaves would dare argue.   
  
The announcer stepped forward and stood next to his king and asked for permission to proceed with the games. The king nodded.   
  
"People of Monio! Today, we present the strongest warriors of our time to compete for the grand title, 'Patron'! I shall give the call for the glory of the games to begin with the warriors to come forth and begin a simple warm up." At that times, the gates were opened and over 100 warriors, men and women, stepped out with their weapons, armor, and some with nothing but their hands and fists. The 100's of slaves panicked at the sight of these warriors. More than half of the warriors would only warm up by stretching or mock battle between each other until the real competition starts, but the other half would slaughter the slaves as their cruel way of preparing for a glorious battle. The announcer raised his arm.   
  
"In the name of King Phriot, I declare all the glory of these games to begin." At the end of this statement, the warriors flew forward, bearing their weapons and giving cries of rage. The slaves scattered, but the women from earlier stood firm. Shi watched as he dodged a knife and evaded a blow. The warriors came closer to the women, but they did not move. Several of the fighters had looks of cruelty on their faces.   
  
The young woman narrowed her eyes as the warriors approached.   
  
"Weak woman," grumbled one of the warriors as he brought his sword down. Suddenly, she was not there. "What?" He looked up and found that she was above him, high in the air. She looked down with her chained fists raised. She landed on his back and wrapped the chain around his neck. The man was huge, but her blows from her feet seemed to send him into shock. Finally, her foot seemed to go straight through to the man's vital organs, crushing them. The warrior went down with a gagged sound. The other young women were fighting as well. They dodged with miraculous speed, spinning out of the way, using swords as springboards to fly back at their enemy. Shi saw that rarely, their hands were used. He saw that it would have been futile if they did use their hands the warriors overpowered them. One of the women knocked down a man with one blow to the stomach with her knee. His eyes ran back to the young woman, she was using a technique he had heard of! Something that was being rumored, that the escaped women slaves were perfecting a deadly technique. It was said that they centered the strength of their fighting sprit into every move and blow, rarely using physical strength and hands. Suddenly, his eyes widened in recognition.   
  
'The Desperation Technique,' he whispered. The warrior, who was about to deliver a blow, froze at his whispered word and turned to stare at what Shi was staring at. His eyes widened at what he saw. He, along with several other warriors, ran over to fight the young women as well. Several of the warriors were dead already.   
  
Shi's hesitance with his enthrallment with the other fights for survival cost him. He turned and found that a fist was flying towards his face. Suddenly, his world was gone as was his spirit and he was accepted into the world of the gods.   
  
(HA! Thought I'd throw you guys off with that added character… sorry he's not the main one… ok… on to the rest of the story)   
  
Relena, the young woman with he cold stare, glanced at the young man that was suddenly killed with one blow. She growled at the warrior attacking her at the moment and saw that several others were on their way. Their plan was working. They were going to bring attention to the situation of the women slaves. It was to be mastered by the people who are oppressed and she knew that this display would cost her life, but she didn't care. Letting out a cry, her battle aura flared in her and practically rammed into the warrior before her. Her outraged cry flew over the arena, as did the other slaves who were fighting for their lives. Relena watched as one of the women went down.   
  
Relena's rage grew as she knocked down the warrior in front of her. Fear was evident in every feature of his face. Relena stood over him, her eyes cold and merciless. She tensed and readied herself to kill him, but she felt a huge mass of weight slam into her and as she fell, she cursed herself for letting her guard down. The two went down hard, Relena let out a grunt. She looked up to find a woman warrior staring down at her. Her hair was wrapped up tightly into a braided horsetail in the back, and was almost white. Her eyes were an ice blue that could freeze anyone in their tracks; anyone but Relena. The warrior held a dagger in her hand, ready to kill, but the resistant slave flipped the warrior up over her head and grabbed for a spear and caught herself. She didn't need a weapon to beat this woman. Looking around, she saw several of the slaves had fallen to using weapons, all but a few. Lucrezia was fighting still with her legs and limbs, but she was tiring. The cry from behind her brought her attention back to the warrior behind her. She could sense the other rushing towards her. Suddenly, just as she turned to bring down her opponent, the gates opened and the Guard rushed into the arena, breaking up the fight. Warriors were yanked and pulled away from fights, but several would not give up until the slave fell.   
  
Finally, the remaining slaves were herded into one side of the arena to face the king. His eyes were filed with fury. He stood and walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned over to examine the slaves. Each looked straight at him and he was enraged by such disrespect.   
  
"Take them to the cells and kill them!" A roar of disapproval rang out from the crowds. They had actually been enjoying the fighting and had been immediately interested in the battle down below.   
  
Relena was amazed. The crowd she had hated so long ago was trying to save her life. If not for the situation she would had laughed at the iron of the whole thing. She watched as a young man stepped forward to whisper into the king's ear. He was around Lucrezia's age, with almost white hair with a cold blue shaded gaze. Relena recognized him at once. Two years earlier, the he was called "Patron." It was said that he was incredible. His strength and speed were amazing. It was said he became an advisor for the king. Relena turned and saw Lucrezia's eyes attached to the ex-Patron. She knew him, but he didn't seem to recognize her; they were too far away from each other. The king was nodding now as the young man continued to whisper. Finally, the king stepped up again. His face was no longer painted red. He was composed instead.   
  
"The games and tournaments will begin. Take the slaves away." The roar came once again. The king raised his arms fro silence. When the crowd settled he spoke again. "These slaves will return to the arena in due time." Once again the crowd turned into Relena's enemy as they cheered at the prospect of another glorious fight. As the soldiers came closer to round up the rebellious slaves, one of the slaves, Hilde, ran back into the mass of fallen bodies. Relena let out a low growl and made to go after her, but Lucrezia stepped in front of her and shook her head, her face grim. The soldiers ran in after Hilde, who had picked up a body and slowly made her way back to the slaves. The soldiers rushed forward but were stopped by an out held scythe. All eyes turned to a dark clod warrior. His eyes were shadowed and a long braid ran down his back. He raised his head and everyone found his eyes were a shock of violet. He stared at the soldiers and silently let Hilde and her survivor through. When they rejoined the group, Relena made her way towards Hilde, and waited for the slaves to be hustled back out of the arena.   
  
"You were to leave all survivors to die, Hilde," growled Relena through her lips. Hilde frowned under the other's weight, but then a small grin began to form.   
  
"We're all going to die anyway, so might as well get a friend." Relena rolled her eyes.   
  
"Drop it…" Hilde gave Relena a startled glance, her back stiffening.   
  
"No."   
  
"Drop it…" she said louder, more demanding.   
  
"Stop it, Relena. It's a human being. It's Cathy." Relena finally looked at the body, something she had avoided doing. It was Cathy. Relena had met her only a few times, but Cathy always made her feel that what she was doing would make a difference. She felt her resolve wearing down. Sighting, she sped up, grumbling, "It's your responsibility." Hilde stared at Relena's back as they continued towards the pits of hell. The dry dust of the arena floor rose up as over 50 slaves were hustled out of the sun and into the safety of the looming darkness. The familiarity was so strong. Relena felt a sigh of pure exhaustion rise up. She knew from past experience to keep it down. Without a sound, the remaining slaves were pushed and shoved into a prison cell. It was then that Relena looked around at the survivors. 


	2. Battle Cry of the Slaves Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
The familiarity was so strong. Relena felt a sigh of pure exhaustion rise up. She knew from past experience to keep it down. Without a sound, the remaining slaves were pushed and shoved into a prison cell. It was then that Relena looked around at the survivors. The ones she had known that still breathed were Hilde, Lucrezia, Natria, and Cathy. The rest were mere acquaintances. Then she noticed that one of her friends had not returned. Mitsuya had not come back from the arena. Just to make sure she wasn't mistaken, she let her eyes run over the slaves once again. Like she had done in the past, she suppressed the agony and stared on.  
  
Lucrezia had found a slave that was not supposed to be involved in the display before the arena. She slowly made her way over, followed by Natria. What people found so uncomfortable about Natria was the amber shade of her eyes. Sometimes, it seemed as if they would become brighter in the dark. The slave did not seem disturbed at all by their approach. For a moment, Lucrezia and Natria stared down at him. His hair was caked in mud, but it was evident that his hair was light blond and his eyes were a sky blue.  
  
"I do not know you," said Lucrezia. They had expected all the weaker slaves to die first as the battle progressed and their own people would continue on, but this was not one of their fighters.  
  
"Did you cower behind the fallen bodies?" said Natria coldly. A coward was not meant to live in her eyes. The young slave noticed this in a deep calm.  
  
Lucrezia believed him when he answered, "No, I fought along side the rest."  
  
"You were not one of our…" Natria was elbowed and she blushed as if she had been caught revealing a secret.  
  
"How did you manage to survive?" asked Lucrezia with a tinge of steel in her voice. The young slave looking to be the same age as Natria hid his face in the shadows, as if in shame.  
  
"I fought."  
  
"We gathered that, but how did you save yourself?" He shrugged.  
  
"I was a warrior who refused to fight anymore." Lucrezia felt her eyes grow larger, and her mouth drop open.  
  
"You're Quatre Rabarba Winner!" she cried. All the others in the cell turned to stare in amazement. Quatre Winner was the youngest known warrior to ever come as close to Patron. He had lost evidently to foul play. Afterward he stopped attending the games and all together disappeared. No one would have dreamed he would end up in a slave's position. Suddenly, Hilde came forward and stared down at Quatre Winner.  
  
"You got out?" she asked. Quatre seemed confused.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Netsu… our hometown you got out before the raid?" Quatre's eyes grew wide in realization.  
  
"You were a native of Netsu?" he cried. Hilde nodded.  
  
"What happened to you? The survivors never found your body."  
  
"I… I was hiding in a sack and the general found me."  
  
"He didn't kill you?" Quatre shook his head.  
  
"No, he just grabbed my arm and dragged me up onto his horse and I blacked out after that." Hilde seemed amazed and then grim.  
  
"At least someone escaped enslavement. They found the survivors a month later and we were sent to the markets, like cattle," she spat.BR.  
  
"I wish I had been taken as well," he said quietly, looking away. Hilde's gaze softened.  
  
"No, it was probably for the best." Quatre laughed cynically.  
  
"Really, then tell me how it's good that I was forced to reenter the arena as a slave." Hilde shrugged.  
  
"The gods have a sick sense of humor."  
  
"The gods are dead," he said vehemently. Hilde didn't seem shaken by this.  
  
"That may be true, but you are here, gods or not."  
  
Before Quatre could respond the clanging of keys ran through their confinements. A dark cloaked figure stood outside, watching. The only thing a person could see of his facial features was his stern mouth. He raised a hand and pointed to Hilde. The guards rushed in and grabbed her as the other guards kept their eyes on the other prisoners. Hilde shoved the hands away from her and yanked her arm out of the guard's hand. She glared at him as he prepared to slap her. The cloaked figure raised his arm to signal a halt to the action. With a disapproving grunt he shoved Hilde out of the cell. The door slammed shut and Hilde was escorted away. Relena watched in grim acceptance. Silence followed. Finally, Lucrezia moved to sit in a dark corner and others began to move around as well.  
  
Relena let her eyes scan the cell and she found Cathy lying next to the wall, unmoving. Relena made her way towards Cathy and knelt down next to her friend, pushing away some stray bangs.  
  
Cathy's arm had a deep cut, and evidently, she had been knocked out. Relena reached over and examined Cathy's arm, seeing it was still bleeding, she lifted it to a vertical position and pressed her hand to the open wound. Cathy groaned in her deep abyss. After a few moments, Cathy's eyes fluttered than opened. The first thing she noticed was that there were two Relenas. Then they merged into one person. Cathy then felt the deep aching in her arm and she turned to look at her raised limb. Relena's hand was bloodied at this point. She turned to Relena again.  
  
"We dead?" she croaked hoarsely. Relena's face was grim.  
  
"Far from it. You're very lucky Hilde saved you." Cathy looked around for the mentioned person and found she was absent.  
  
"She's gone," said Natria as she walked up to them. "The guards came for her."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"We don't know." Cathy's eyes floated shut for a moment.  
  
"I guess they must have broken up the battle."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So what's to happen to us?"  
  
"I wish we could tell you. I do know that we will return to the arena. We just don't know when."  
  
"We'll probably be questioned," said Relena. Cathy closed her eyes again. She knew the interrogators had mastered techniques of making a prisoner talk, especially if he is wounded. Then the door opened once again. Everyone was ordered to file out. Natria and Relena helped Cathy up. As they made their way towards the door of the cell, Cathy was roughly yanked away and thrown up against the wall along with several other wounded slaves. Relena reached for her friend, but Natria pulled her back in with the others. Relena looked over her shoulder at her friend. Cathy's face was pale in the torchlight, but Cathy tried to give Relena a comforting smile. She failed miserably. Then she was out of sight. It was then that Relena began to feel the sharp nagging teeth of despair begin its work on her. 


	3. Battle Cry of the Slaves Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Hilde followed behind the cloaked figure out of the darkness of the arena and into the light of day. From much past experience she didn't even bother to shield her eyes from the glare. They were now on the streets of the city, Timbian. The guards had long since left them on their own. After a few more paces, the man in the cloak pulled off his hood.   
  
"Wow! It was hot down there!" he said in a cheery voice. Hilde's eyes widened in dismay. This was the same young man who had helped her in the arena.   
  
"You're … you're…"   
  
"Duo Maxwell… warrior extraordinaire. I saw you in the arena, thought I'd see what was going on." Hilde's jaw had dropped as her chained arms fell at her sides. It was quite an amusing sight. Duo chose to ignore it.   
  
"Now hold very still." Hilde was about to ask why, but he suddenly pulled out his scythe and took a swing at her arms. Hilde's instinct kicked in. She quickly jumped back and forward. Before Duo knew what was happening, he was on the ground with Hilde's face placed firmly on his throat. She was barely even breathing hard.   
  
"Whoa, what the…"   
  
"Make one move and you're dead," she hissed. "I've already had enough of being attacked for today." Duo's eyes seemed confused for a moment and then irritated.   
  
"Attack you? I was going to cut off the shackles!"   
  
"What?" cried Hilde in shock.   
  
"Get offa' me!" Hilde backed up and let him get up. He jumped up and dusted off his rear, all the time glaring at her.   
  
"If you wanted me to get them off myself, I would have!"   
  
"What are you talking about?" Hilde lifted her hand it seemed as if a pair of keys had suddenly appeared in her palm. Duo's eyes widened. "I have my ways," said Hilde with a smile. With a few swift moves the shackles fell away and Hilde was free. She rubbed her wrists gingerly and turned back towards the warrior.   
  
"What did you want with me?" she said tensely. Her eyes were weary as Duo circled her as if examining her. Hilde refused to be intimidated. Being an ex-slave, it was hard to make her lose her composure. Duo was examining her, with a hand under his chin and his arm crossed over his stomach. After an eternity he lowered his arms and grinned.   
  
"Want to get something to eat?" Hilde was visibly shocked.   
  
"No! What I want is to…" Duo wouldn't let her finish. E merely shrugged and turned to leave.   
  
"Your loss, talk to ya' later." He turned and began to make his way towards the town square. Hilde stood in shock for a moment, then tripped to catch up with her savior. When she had done this she gave him a terrible glower, knowing there was nothing else for her to do.   
  
"What's your game?" she growled. He continued on with a maddeningly content look on his face.   
  
"You decided to come then?" she was about to rip her hair out.   
  
"Do you know I'm about ready to throw you into the river?" He only smiled and led the way to a pub, not saying anything more.   
  
Cathy was staring at the floor as her friends were filed out of the cell and shoved down a corridor… away from her. She closed her eyes in anticipation as the door was slammed shut and the guards turned to the wounded. This was it. They were going to kill her now. To her surprise, the slaves were all ordered to move down the corridor in the opposite direction. Torches lit their way. They passed several doors when they were finally shoved inside a dark room. The darkness enveloped them as the door was slammed behind them. The silence that followed was eerie and caused Cathy to shiver in the darkness. They must have been there for hours before the door was thrown open. Cathy shielded her eyes and she was suddenly being lifted by that arm and behind ragged out. Cathy looked over her shoulder at the remaining people. They were unmoving. Dead. They were dead. Only a few survived from the cell… barely. Cathy's vision was blurring as they finally arrived at a door. Just as the underground physician appeared, her vision blacked out.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The young blond warrior sat inside a pub outside of the arena. The games had been postponed despite that they were ordered to continue. The warriors had withdrawn until the slaves returned. They were anxious to continue on their fight. Dorothy of Catalonia, the warrior village of the south, sat alone in the darkness of a corner. She watched with feral eyes as the pub moved with life around her. A quiet conversation caught her attention at a table nearby.   
  
"Did you hear of those slaves?"   
  
"The ones at the games? I was there!"   
  
"I heard they are transferring them to a different location for security."   
  
"I bet they're going to interrogate them…" Dorothy knew of the relocation of the slaves and was actually thinking of paying a visit to the slaves along the way to their new prison.   
  
There was a reason as in to why Dorothy of Catalonia was so interested in these slaves. They were using a technique that had only been rumored about… the Desperation Technique. Any warrior in their right mind would be very interested in this technique. It was said to be almost impossible to defeat in a one-on-one combat or even a five-on-one battle. Maybe if she went to check out those slaves and interrogate one herself, she would be able to gain some knowledge. Basically, she wanted to piss off the law system here. She hated how everything was run in this city. From the poverty all the way to the way the rich flaunted their privileges.   
  
No one noticed Dorothy gathering up her cloak closer to her body, making her way towards the door. At this time of year the city was filled with thousands of warriors, so no one ever gave each other a second look. Everyone was too afraid of possibly angering a real warrior so everyone stays a good distance from each other. Every once in a while there was the idiot with a hot head. It's not very surprising to find some warriors already beaten before reaching the arena.   
  
Dorothy moved smoothly through the streets of the crowded city. The hood was held close around her face. She knew where her destination was and she did not falter as she approached the lower entrance of the prison, where the slaves were being held. She leaned her back to the wall behind her. Crossing her arms, she waited for the slaves to emerge. Her eyes rose up to look at the setting sun and her gaze softened. She missed her home desperately. It's been several years since she had last seen the horizon with the sun peaking out over the rim of the horizon above the village.   
  
The games were just attempts to be accepted back into her village. At the age of 16, she was challenged to fight against another girl a few years older than her. Her name was Une. It was for the attentions of a young man. His name was Treize. He was handsome, powerful, and the son of the village leader. Every girl swooned over his devastatingly charming smile and ocean blue eyes. Dorothy would scoff every time she would recall the blatant flirting several of the young women did to gain his attention. Finally it was only a match between Une and herself. Their village was a strong warrior village. Problems were solved with bruit strength. It's really funny at how quickly she forgot what the prize of the fight looked like. She had thought she was in love. Then she saw the small look of dissatisfaction when he saw who won the battle and her dreams were shattered. The illusion of him loving her back was snuffed away like smoke in the breeze. Une had been lying on the ground and Dorothy had stared at her with tears gleaming in her eyes. Her teeth were bared. She had come to realize Treize's true feelings and they were not lying with her. Everyone in the village who was watching began to chant for her to finish Une off, Dorothy, not knowing what else to do, ran and when she returned a day later rocks and rotten food were thrown at her. She had not returned since. Well, she would show them! She would be Patron and be welcomed with open arms.   
  
Dorothy's point of interest was now coming into view from deep within the barrier. An old cart with high bars of wood, caging the slaves in the back, awaited outside. There were not as many as what she remembered leaving the arena, but she figured that they were either dead, or going to be. The guard made a vulgar remark and spat on a young woman. Her amber eyes flared for a moment, but instead of lashing back, returned her gaze to the bottom of the cart. Dorothy assessed the situation as she slowly came within view of the moving cart. There were two guards, not including the driver. Dorothy felt disgust well up as she saw how poorly they were guarded.   
  
There were about 20 in the cat, each seated on the h ay on the floor or on small benches rimming the edges of the bars. No one paid her a second glance as she approached, figuring she was only another traveler. One slave looked up though and looked immediately anxious. It was a young man with muddy blond hair and sky blue eyes.   
  
Lucrezia noticed Quatre's sudden stiff posture and leaned towards him. "What's wrong?" she whispered. Quatre's eyes shot back towards the traveler and before he could say anything the figure burst forward with shocking speed. The guard in the back of the wagon fell with a slit throat. The driver halted the cart in surprise and the horses brayed in irritation. The other guard got one hoarse cry out before joining his companion's fate. He fell against the side of the cart where a hand shot out from inside and grabbed his collar. He stared with his dying breaths into those same amber eyes and then fell as Natria spat on his face, just as he had done to her.   
  
The driver panicking, leapt from the wagon and took off for the woods, but it was as if a knife suddenly appeared in his back. He went down with a stunned thud. Silence followed as everyone stared at this hooded figure. He turned around and then made his way towards them. They all tensed with his every step. Just as he reached for the padlock, there came a loud crash followed by a shout.   
  
Dorothy cursed as she threw open the door after she smashed the lock away. The soldiers appeared from the trees further up the road. Just as Dorothy grabbed hold of one of the slaves, a storm of arrows came flying by, barley skimming her head and showing her identity. Then she took off, dragging along the one she had grabbed. As her back was turned an arrow hit its mark, ramming its way into her shoulder. Her jaw clenched as she focused her attention away from her pain. Quatre stared at the shaft of the arrow protruding from his rescuer's shoulder. Shouts could be heard from behind and Quatre turned and saw the guards beating down the defenseless slaves, shoving them back into the cart. Others were ordered to go after the escaped pair. They didn't stop running until they reached the dark alleyways of the city. Quatre was still struggling to catch his breath when the voice that spoke shocked him. It was feminine.   
  
"Break the arrow's shaft," she hissed as another wave of pain hit her. The sides of her hood even now shadowed her face. When Quatre only remained in shock, she barked at him again. He finally jumped into action. He hesitantly reached up and grabbed hold of the arrow. He heard the small intake of breath as he made a quick movement and snapped the arrow in half. A groan made its way out of his rescuer's throat. As soon as it was broken Dorothy spun around, snatched the piece from Quatre's hand and proceeded to throw it into the darkness. Her left shoulder burned as she turned back to the slave. With her right hand holding her wounded shoulder tenderly, she grabbed Quatre's own and began to run. Not once did Quatre catch a glimpse of her face. They proceeded to run through the darkness. 


	4. Battle Cry of the Slaves Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Hilde had to duck and doge around the bustling crowds of the city, but Duo seemed as if all he had to do was walk a straight line and no one seemed to get in his way. She tired to keep up, but ended up running into someone. For a moment, she lost sight of Duo. When she tired to find him, she saw that he had disappeared. Her gaze shot around as she continued to walk. I was then that she knew she was lost.   
  
Duo had just turned into the doorway of a small pub, assuming the girl was right behind him, but as he turned the cynical little grin that always seemed to be plastered on his face slowly disappeared, finding that she wasn't there as he had expected. He immediately shot back out to the street and saw only a sea of heads. Some shrouded, others bald, graying, blond, brown, black, he couldn't see over them. His eyes scanned the area and saw her and a wave of relief washed over him. Within moments, he reached her and spun her around by the shoulder. He was about to reprimand her for her lack of attention when he realized that hew s staring into green eyes instead of deep blue.   
  
"Hey! Get your hands off my girl!" Duo looked up just as a huge first came flying at him. Today was definitely not turning out to be a good one.   
  
"Hilde had somehow managed to wedge herself between some crates and curled up. The city had changed so much since she last visited. She had no clue where she was or how to get out. Then the memories began to flood back into her mind, filling every crevice with the pain. Everything came back; the attack, being stuffed into a cart with her family. Her mother somehow got loose and she fled carrying Hilde in her arms protectively. They weren't caught, but her mother stated she was going to go and see what had become of the others. She placed Hilde into a small crevice of a building, leaving behind her shawl to keep her daughter warm until her return. She never did. Hilde was eventually found by a guard and was thrown in with some more slaves on their way into the arena. Hilde never cried after last seeing her mother.   
  
At the moment, Hilde felt like that little girl all over again and she struggled to shut out the memories, but she was drowning in them, feeling her very existence slipping away from her into the pool of despair that had slowly accumulated around her. For some reason, she had felt that man would protect her, or at least guide her, but she had been fooled. Abandoned, once again, she buried her head in her folded arms and she tucked her legs in closer, guarding against the intrusive fingers of the cold sweeping through the city now that darkness was falling.   
  
Duo assumed that the girl had run away, but he continued to scour the city's alleys. Darkness had settled by now and Duo's search was reaching its end. He had grown tired of this fruitless search for her. There must have been thousands of dark haired, petite young women in this sector alone. As his determination began to wane, a small growl from a nearby alley attracted his attention. A soldier was kicking someone sitting in a darkened corner.   
  
"Get up you piece o' filth," he growled. The small object uncurled painstakingly slow and stood in the shadows. The soldier slammed the slight figure up against the wall.   
  
"I'm taking you into the pits you little rat."   
  
"My name… is… Hilde," she hissed out through her closed throat. With that she lashed out with a kick to the stomach. The soldier gasped as the force sent him flying into the wall on the other side of the alley. From there, Hilde unleashed a mirage of blows the soldier had no chance of dodging. Her rage seemed to overwhelm her as she continued to beat down the helpless man. Duo saw she was not watching or even realizing what she was doing. It was as if she was being driven by some inner rage. He ran forward, to try to hold her back.   
  
Hilde saw another figure lash out at her, or so she thought. She turned away from the body of the dead soldier and swung on Duo. Surprisingly, he was faster and dodged, all the while, trying to avoid her attacks.   
  
"Hilde…" he cried out to her. She was too far gone to recognize him. Some shouts off in the distance could be heard coming closer and Duo knew he had to hurry and get Hilde to come to her senses.   
  
"Hilde! It's me! Duo!" She lashed out at him once again. She was mumbling something as she sought to destroy her enemy. Flipping around, she lifted her knee intending on crippling him and possibly keeping him from ever having children. That's it… screw claming her down! With a quick movement, Hilde went sprawling completely knocked out.   
  
The voices were getting closer, as Duo hurriedly scooped up the limp body and threw her over his shoulder. He made one regretful look at the dead soldier nearby and proceeded to take off. There would be a lot to pay for in the morning once he was found. Sighing, Duo turned and left, he would deal with that if it came down to it.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cathy's vision was blurred at first as she attempted to pen her eyes, but her head throbbed. Sighing, she raised an arm to rub her abused skull. She didn't know where she was for a moment.   
  
"Orpah…" she grumbled her grandmother's name. "Orpah, I had the strangest dream. I was in a big arena and everyone was dying. I died…" Just then, Cathy's surroundings sank in and she made a quick intake of breath. Her eyes wandered around the dim room. There were tables with people stretched out on top of each one, just as she found she was currently lying on. A young man was lying on a table next to hers. His face was ashen and his chest was not moving. Just as a thought was beginning to form, two people wearing black robes came by and laid a white sheet over the man's face. Tears formed in Cathy's eyes, but a sudden shift at the foot of her table diverted her attention. Her eyes darted to the movement and found a young man, also wearing a black robe with the hood pulled up around his head. He seemed to be writing on a piece of t hick parchment, as if he had been watching her. He stared at her with blank dull eyes. They were green, a forest of green. It was a huge contrast to his robe. Black… black is death, thought Cathy. Just then, the young man spoke, but not to her, yet he still watched her closely.   
  
"Number 54 is awake; take her to the third cellar. I'll e in to examine her again later, if she's still alive." Cathy's eyes narrowed rising up to the challenge she saw him giving to her. For a moment, she thought she saw amusement n her eyes, but then she decided it was a trick of the light. It was then she realized she was in the death room below the arena. Before Cathy could respond to his challenge, she was roughly pulled from the table. Her head spun once again. As she was dragged by the man at the foot of the table, she scowled at him.   
  
"I'll live," she grumbled under her breath.   
  
"You better," said the man. "Orpah wouldn't be pleased." Cathy gave him a sharp look before she was dragged out.   
  
The cellar was less than hospitable. It was just like the last cell she and the other wounded were thrown into, if not, worse. She was alone, except for the rats. No light, no warmth, and no reason t live. Cathy shook her head sharply to rid the thoughts from her mind. That young man had laughed at her and she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand the jibes and false hopes. She just wanted to go home. She missed the mountains. Her grandmother lived up in a small dugout, entrenched into the side of the huge mountain, right over the meadows. Cathy's little sister stayed with her grandmother when Cathy snuck out one day to help the slaves and ended up becoming one. She later escaped and trained in the mountains further south. Cathy loved the mountains. The way they looked, smelled, and their winter storms; those were her favorite. She felt as if she was sinking back into those days of a warm dug-out with her grandmother sitting nearby as Cathy and her little sister would wrestle on the floor, gathering strength to fight off the wolves in the warmer seasons. Cathy was wondering how little Teresa was fairing in protecting Orpah. She rethought that; Teresa wasn't really that young anymore. She must have been 17 summers by now. It had been four years since Cathy had last seen her family. She was only a year younger than Teresa when she had left, to find something new and exciting. Cathy scoffed at the thought now and wondered what it would have been like to have listened to Orpah. Cathy threw those thoughts into the back of her mind. The night before she ran away was horrible. The voices still echoed in her ears.   
  
"You are not leaving! I will not have you meet the same fate as your mother!"   
  
"My mother is dead and therefore I will not take on her legacy!"   
  
"I promised her I would take care of you and Teresa!"   
  
"I'm not your child! I was my mother's and she left me!" Tears had run down her face at that point. "I won't make her mistakes either. I won't love anyone. I won't follow him and die for him as she did. He laughed at Teresa and me! Don't you remember, Orpah?" Her grandmother backed away as if being slapped. "He stood and laughed at us when we went to him for help. Then he walked away!"   
  
"Catherine…" It was a plea. Cathy only shook her head and backed away.   
  
"No! I won't! I HATE THIS PLACE, THESE MOUNTAINS AND YOU!" With that, she ran. Her mind was jumbled and she ran. The pain of that moment overwhelmed Cathy as she sat in that dark cell. She didn't go back to the mountains after that; she couldn't face her grandmother after that exchange. Perhaps Teresa was taking good care of Orpah. Cathy had no doubt that was what Teresa would do. Her sweet little sister… she regretted ever leaving sometimes.   
  
The sudden jolt of the cell door opening shook her from her reverie. The slow steady steps of someone entering the cell resounded off the stone walls. The person slid to a halt in front of Cathy, standing just within of her vision. Cathy's gaze slowly made its way up the legs, standing firmly before her. Then her own eyes connected with blazing green orbs.   
  
"Get up," he said flatly. It was the same young man from before. Cathy thought a moment to refuse to obey, but realized it would do her no good. She gathered her strength and moved to get up, and as expected, received no assistance. Her legs gave out once, but she caught herself with her arm. A strong arm reached out and grabbed her just below the elbow and continued to drag her towards the door. Cathy refused to struggle because whatever she did the pain flared once again. After what seemed like forever, they stopped in front of a small wooden doorway. The green eyed surgeon threw open the door and then roughly turned Cathy around to face him. He shoved a pile of rags into her hand and pushed her into the doorway.   
  
"Get in there and clean yourself up," he growled. Cathy stood in confusion for a moment. Then she turned and saw she was in a small room with a metal tub filled with cold water. It was dimly lit by torches. Before she knew it, the door was slammed shut and she was left to her own doings.   
  
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	5. Battle Cry of the Slaves Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
Quatre didn't know where this strange young warrior was taking him, but he was sure that it would be best to stay with her, at least, until he knew where he was in the first place. There were so many questions he wanted answered, but that would have to come later. They had been running for at least half an hour now. He wondered at this point, if this young woman knew where show as going at all! Suddenly, they slowed and the other dropped his hand. For a brief moment, he thought this woman was letting him go only to pass out, but he realized that she only intended to go into a nearby wooden building. He supposed his only other choice was to follow.   
  
The staircase was dark and shabby, no room to move, to breath… to think. It made Quatre uneasy to be in such a confined space and with him being on the run. The young woman must have sensed his uneasiness for she turned and glanced at him once or twice, speeding up only a little. Quatre could feel the weariness of that day building within him. He shook himself to try to sharpen his senses.   
  
Finally, they came to a wooden door. The woman slowed her steps and waved an arm behind her to silence Quatre. She waved at him to get low as she drew closer to the door, reaching out quietly to rap her first against the door a few times. There was some shuffling from inside as the person came to the door. Quatre felt his blood begin to rush through his body. He felt the anticipation for a battle. He looked over at his companion and for the first time saw her face clearly. She wasn't beautiful, but there was something about her eyes that captured his mind. Her stance was tense as a hoarse voice came from behind the thick door.   
  
"Who is it?" came a man's voice, and not very young at that. The woman crouched lower with an odd gleam in her eye as she answered.   
  
I've brought word from Nitza," it as a low voice, barely recognizable from the voice that Quatre had heard earlier and it held a small lisp, an accent often heard in the central area of the country. The shuffling turned to a clumsy attempt to open the door, but the man failed at first. He was obviously drunk. Quatre thought he heard a slight curse under the woman's breath. The moment the door opened a crack, she shot forward, barging through the door, knocking the man off his feet. Quatre sat amazed in the stairwell as the woman proceeded to pull out a knife from the inside of her thigh, holding down the man as the tip of knife nearly kissed the man's throat. He was obviously surprised by the onslaught, but not panicked.   
  
"What in the name of the king are you doing?" cried the old man. He was balding and the little bit of hair that was left was all grey with a hint of brown. He was a hunchback, barely able to keep himself from rolling to the side. His bottom lip protruded in an ugly sneer, but his eyes sparkled with intelligence, despite his flushed cheeks from the drink he had consumed.   
  
"Braul," she sneered, nearly spitting on him. Quatre assumed that was the poor man's name. "What kind of guard are you? A million soldiers could simply walk in, ransack our place, and left your blood painting the walls!" Braul looked exasperated for a moment.   
  
"We're not in Nitza anymore if you've noticed by now, Miss Catalonia," he spat out. "Now if you'll kindly get off of me, I will be happy to fix the hinge of the door which you tore off and to get a drink for your friend." Braul nodded towards Quatre who still sat outside. It was as if 'Miss Catalonia' had forgotten about him. She quickly dragged him in, slamming the door and immediately hustling him into a chair.   
  
"May I ask who this young man is?" asked Braul.   
  
"No." It was a blunt answer. Braul was not at all offended by this response.   
  
"Well, you can at least tell me where you picked him up." At this point, Braul had poured out a strong smelling liquid and handed it to Quatre without even glancing at him. Dorothy stood next to a small table, casually flipping through a pile of papers and then dismissing them just as casually. She turned to the window without answering. Te little man sighed and proceeded to cork the jug and place it among other jars in a nearby cupboard. Quatre caught a glance of some of the contents of the jars and forced himself to swallow the bile rising in his throat. Eyes, fingers, ears all sat pickled in glass containers. They floated in perfect preservation. The jars were obviously worn by travel, but the human parts inside seemed quite in tact. Quatre had heard of such practices. This woman warrior obviously believed that carrying around her slain enemies' body parts would improve her fighting abilities. Quatre took note not to allow her the knowledge of his true identity of the youngest Patron ever to survive the games. Just the thought of the games brought unwanted memories.   
  
The whining pitch in Braul's tone brought Quatre back to his present situation. What did this woman want with him? He froze maybe she already knew and had arranged for his death. The thought kicked him into action. He slowly began to edge his way towards the door.   
  
"Miss Catalonia, why must we stay here? There are rumors that the games have been postponed until further notice. If that's true, then we will be stuck here for another month. That doesn't include the time it takes to clear out the crowds." The woman continued to stare out the window, never responding. Quatre had only reached for the knob when Catalonia finally spoke.   
  
"Do not think of leaving, Quatre Rabarba Winner." He froze in mid action. So she knew who he was; no point in acting like a cowering slave. He stood tall and proud, but Dorothy remained facing the window.   
  
"The city is crawling with soldiers. You wouldn't get past the inner city limits in one piece. You're safer here than out there." Quatre glanced at the jars and almost asked 'Are you sure?' At that moment, Dorothy turned back again to face the two men.   
  
"Braul, pack our things we are leaving tonight. A certain friend of mine informed me that one month is exactly what I have. We'll go to the mountains until then." Braul looked stunned.   
  
"Miss Catalonia, like you said only moments ago, the city is crawling with soldiers. They'll stop us, recognize our… guest, and then we're all dead." Her dull stare turned on Braul.   
  
"What's the matter, Braul? Only moments ago you were volunteering to leave," she mocked.   
  
"That was before I found out you were planning on leaving in the middle of the night with a refugee."   
  
"Braul…"   
  
"What?"   
  
"Shut up before I drop you in with the other slaves." That had no effect on her servant.   
  
"Lady Catalonia, your father instructed me to watch over you and that is exactly what I'll do, even if it means letting you throw one of your fits." Quatre watched as a small hint of amusement crept into her eyes.   
  
"I apologize, Braul, but with or without you, the ex-Patron and I are leaving tonight. My father will learn someday that he cannot control my actions all of my life. Now it was Braul's turn to be amused.   
  
"You do know that he will never learn that lesson." Just like that, any tension that had formed was swept away. Finally, Dorothy turned to Quatre.   
  
"Take off your clothes." Quatre's eyes widened as his jaw nearly hit the floor.   
  
"N… Nani!"   
  
"I have no interest in that," she said disgusted. She glanced at Braul. "Go down and order them to prepare some warm water. This man needs a bath." Braul obeyed without a word. When they were alone, Dorothy walked over to one of the two packs and began to rummage around through the contents. Quatre still stood very close to the door. He could run, but something held him there. She was right. The streets had to be crawling with soldiers. Besides, she wouldn't kill him yet. It was in battle that she would do t his terrible deed to gain the body parts she required. He wouldn't be defeated very easily either.   
  
"Come here," she ordered. Quatre broke out of his daze and stared at her as she pulled out a fresh set of breeches and shirt. There on the bed rested a cloak and boots. After she glared at him for taking so long, he finally moved forward. She held the clothing to make sure it was the right size. Satisfied, she se it on the bed along side the rest of the items. She examined him closely.   
  
"We will give you one day to recover. I was hasty in suggesting that we leave tonight. It is against my better judgment, but we won't get far in your current state." At that point, Braul walked in with the two others carrying the water. Dorothy instructed them to place it in the center of the room. Then she sent Braul down to get food and wine as well. She turned towards the cupboard and pulled out a jar containing a human eyeball. Quatre felt his body stiffen. Dorothy spared him a small amused smile. Without hesitating, she whipped out her knife and stabbed it into the top, pealing away the wax and cork. Quatre refused to move as his curiosity began to gnaw at him. Instead of coming for him to gouge out an eyeball from his socket, she stood over the tub of water and took a handful of the contents and dumped it into the water. Surprisingly, what came out was a fine blue powder. Quatre squinted his eyes and he suddenly realized what was going on. She was using veiling magic. What everyone saw was a gruesome ritual, but she actually carried precious powders. They were prized items, enough that someone would kill for them. No one would want a jar of human flesh. She sat down and pulled out a board of cork and cut out a large chunk, fitting it snuggly into the opening. Then she picked up the candle on the table and began to drip it on the edges of the cork and jar. Within moments, it was sealed once again. Braul returned with the food. Quatre eyed it hungrily, but Dorothy had another agenda.   
  
"First a bath, then you can eat. You're filthy." Quatre glowered. Then why did she bring in all that food? It was obvious she wasn't planning on leaving so he went ahead and stripped down and quickly got into the freezing water. He heard Braul mumbling.   
  
"Mistress, did you see his back? He's covered in scars."   
  
"He was a Patron; you do not expect a Patron to come out of that place unscathed. You are never to mention his title outside of our company. Is that understood?"   
  
"No need to treat me like a child. I understand." Dorothy looked straight at Quatre.   
  
"We leave in the morning. The powder will help your strength. You should be fully recovered by the time we reach the hills." Quatre knew this woman had some plan in store for him. At the moment, he could do nothing but follow along. 


	6. Battle Cry of the Slaves Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
That light. It was so bright. Someone needed to blow out that candle, or shut that window. Either way, it was bothersome. Hilde groaned and rolled away from the intrusive glow. She was safe in her darkness. 'Hilde.' Go away. 'Hilde.' I'm not ready to get up.   
  
"Wake up already!" The voice cut deep into her mind. She shot up with such force and speed her intruder was smacked right in the head, making a resounding thunk. Both moaned from the unexpected pain.   
  
"In the name of all that lives and breaths, I will never wake you up again!" Duo cursed as he pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead.   
  
"Where am I?"   
  
"A brothel." Hilde's eyes widened in disbelief as Duo made his way to look into his reflection in a bowl of water to see any possible damage from the impact. He only turned away to push the feeble girl back onto the bed.   
  
"Don't worry. You're in a private room. No one will come in. No, I don't plan on using you." Hilde still eyed him wearily.   
  
"Why are we here?" He didn't even glance at her as he yelled out the door.   
  
"Sabe! Hey! Bring up the team!"   
  
"You got it Duo!" He turned back to Hilde.   
  
"This is my… home." He hesitated on the word home. Hilde could have pried further, but at that moment an army of women ran into the room with soaps, tub, combs, clothes, and other terrible mechanisms. Hilde's eyes widened as she backed up against the wall. Duo laughed and placed a hand on a woman's shoulder who held a handful of clothing.   
  
"Don't scare her too much." Hilde looked like a cornered animal as the ring of women closed in on her. Duo smiled as he left the room.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hilde scowled from across the room at Duo. He sat merrily eating at the table. S he had curled up deep into one of the corners and had refused to come out. The display of her feelings towards him didn't seem to have any effect on him whatsoever. The women had scrubbed Hilde clean of all dirt and grime and dressed into a small hunting outfit. Duo obviously planned on taking her somewhere. S he wanted some answers first. The sudden clenching of her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten in several days. Duo seemed to momentarily halt in his massive gorging. He spoke with a full mouth.   
  
"You should probably eat. We have a long way to go tomorrow." Hilde felt like a little girl again. With that realization, she stood up and made her way to the other side of the room. She continuously glowered at him.   
  
"I'm surprised your face hasn't frozen like that."   
  
"What do you want with me?"   
  
"The location of the rebels." Hilde stiffened and drew closer.   
  
"That is something I can not give to you. I don't know. A select few know. Even those who are inside encampment do not know the location." Duo's eyes remained calm, but his body stiffened.   
  
"Then you will tell me what you know."   
  
"No." Duo threw down the meat he was eating and dusted off his hands on his pants. He centered all of his attention on the girl that stood before him. He slowly raised his right hand, holding up his forefinger and middle finger. He snapped his fingers together in a quick jerky movement. They immediately began to glow. Hilde didn't notice how Duo's eyes began to glow as well; her eyes were attached to his fingers.   
  
"We'll do this the hard way then." He drew closer, Hilde paralyzed in place. "Where are the rebels?" He asked casually. She answered against the bond with all her will power only to be unsuccessful.   
  
"I don't know."   
  
"Do you remember the geography of the location?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Then please, enlighten me with everything you know." Hilde strained to turn away, to move, to tell him to eat his own liver.   
  
"The land is rough and difficult to travel. It is barren from the eye, but as you reach the hills, the rain comes and never leaves you until you reach the top. The soil is rich at the top. The women and men train in the forest on the other side. The sound of their work can be heard for miles. There are many. Children live freely and train among the trees as well. The sun is welcoming and the rain is gentle. We are unhindered by king or law. We grow on each other and always keep one goal in mind." Duo's gaze had softened slightly, the glow dimming.   
  
"And what goal is that?" he whispered.   
  
"Crush the king's hold on our land and give freedom to our kin." She said it with reverence as if it was some kind of prayer. Duo dropped his hand, the glow fading slowly. As if a force had suddenly released her, she fell to her knees. She gasped, her voice hoarse.   
  
"What did you do to me, demon?" she hissed. Duo spun elegantly and sat back down on his seat, as if nothing had happened.   
  
"Half demon, actually. My mother lived here when my father visited her and then walked out of her life, and here I am!" Hilde's eyes widened.   
  
"Baby eater! Monster! What did you do to me?" she cried. "Poison my mind with evil? Take my soul as I breathed?" Duo's gaze was steady. It was as if he hadn't moved, but he stood right before her, grasping her neck tightly.   
  
"I may not be a whole demon, but I'm a half one. You'll do well to remember that while you're here." Hilde's eyes squeezed shut as she felt his fingers tighten. His grip suddenly loosened. She fell back and landed hard on her side. She stared at Duo's back as he walked towards the door. So, she was a prisoner.   
  
"Don't go anywhere," he commented over his shoulder to her. "I'll be back soon and then we'll have some more fun." The door clicked shut and then locked.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After Cathy had washed herself clean of blood and dust from the arena, she put on her clothes that had been thrown at her. She had to admit, after cleaning away the layers of filth, she felt much better. Despite this, she still felt the stone of dread resting at the bottom of her stomach. She was just tying the pants into place when the door flew open. The young man from earlier entered with a guard. The guard immediately twisted Cathy's arm behind her back and dragged her into the hall. The touches had dimmed. It must have been morning by now. With a gruff command, the guard shoved Cathy into a dark cell. She could hear vermin scatter in various directions as the torch brightened up the cracked corners. A small wooden bench was occupied by a skeleton, long since losing its flesh. The guard released her, leaving her to stand in the middle of the small confinement. The young man stepped into the light. Once again, his eyes struck her.   
  
"These are now your quarters. Get used to it because you will be here until you see this world for the last time, like this unfortunate person here," he waved his hand towards the barren bones. "Every day you will be brought out to work in the death room. Any means of escaping is impossible and if you do attempt to escape then you will be punished severely." Cathy stood straight, her head held high. So, she was to be a slave like the others? Not if she still had breath in her body. She moved with such speed and agility that neither the guard nor the young man saw how she was suddenly in the hall, running away into the darkness. The young man put out his arm to halt the guard who made to go after her.   
  
"Leave her," he said.   
  
"But Master Trowa…"   
  
"She is only running further into the arena. She doesn't know the way out. Besides, she is still weak from the battle."   
  
"But…"   
  
"Send out a message to all stations not to harm her. I want her back here alive."   
  
"Yes, sir." The guard placed his fist over his heart and bowed. Trowa nodded and stared into the darkness where Cathy had disappeared. S he would be back within an hour.   
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Cathy had hardly noticed that the bandage that wrapped the wound on her arm was falling apart. Whoever did this did a terrible job. Cathy cursed as she felt herself slow down with exertion. Shaking her head, she pushed harder into the darkness. She hadn't a clue as in to where she was going. She felt the sting of frustration setting in and the tears beginning to form. It was hopeless. How could she expect to get out of this maze? The tunnels were endless and the area vast. As far as she knew, she was heading back towards the arena. As this sped through her mind, she slowed to a crawl, finally collapsing to the ground. Gasping for air and gripping her arm, which now was bleeding again, she leaned against the cold stone wall. By then, the darkness of despair welled around her. She closed her eyes, still feeling the tears fall from her chin into her lap. Slowly, she slid sideways to rest in a fetus position against the wall. Before she faded out of consciousness, she heard the soft thud of boots approaching. She rolled her eyes up to stare into a cold face. Those eyes would haunt her from then on. She let out a quiet curse before her eyes fluttered shut.   
  
Trowa stood over the prone figure. Her lack of energy and blood was obvious. She would need to be cleaned again. As his eyes examined her he felt a rush of memories. He fought to keep the images out of his mind. The faces forced their way in, prying the gate of his mind open. The buildings were on fire and people screamed chaotically as they ran in all directions. Only he stood still, staring at a crumpled figure in front of him. The girl groaned. She brought him back. Hardening his mask, he reached down and hauled her over his shoulder. Without a second hesitation, he slowly made his way back to her new quarters.   
  
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	7. Battle Cry of the Slaves Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
After the attack and escape, the rest of ht women were surrounded with more armed guards, as well as hounds prowling around the moving prison. Relena stared through the bars with stone-cold hopelessness. Their fates were sealed; their lives were to be sacrificed to the gods. Their location was yet to be learned by the prisoners, but Natria had determined earlier they were on a back road between the mountains and Western Plains. That meant they had to be going north. There were a number of places that could go from there. They would count on Lucrezia to find out at nightfall. She knew the stars better than anyone else there.   
  
The road had been overgrown by the crawling moss from the forest. The moss was infamous for growing quickly. Within one day, it could grow from the horizon to where you stood. Strangely enough, during the evening the moss would shrivel and be dry and stiff by morning only to start growing all over again. It produced a strange odor, allowing no other smell to float through the air.   
  
The small animals scrambled in and out of the spools of the wooden wheels carrying the prisoners. Natria's mind avoided her present situation by letting her mind wander back to the mountains where they had t rained for so long.   
  
She remembered the day they had been hand chosen to carry out the suicide mission. It was then fears appeared that no one knew existed.   
  
I  
  
"You can't send me back! I won't do it!" One of the young women who had been chosen refused the mission. Shin was in charge of the mission at the time.   
  
"You will go! The training was meant for this and you will hold to your word!" he had yelled back. Everyone stood staring, waiting to see hat he would do.   
  
"No!" she screamed. Tears streaked her browned face, darkened from the time training under a glaring sun. The yard was silent, all eyes concentrating on the two individuals. No one saw it happen. Shin stood by the woman, gripping her head in a ferocious hold.   
  
"You have one last chance. You agreed to this knowing very well what could happen," he hissed into her ear. She struggled viciously against the vice-like grip.   
  
"I'd rather die!"   
  
"Have it your way." With a swift movement, the woman was still, her flailing arms going limp as her soul fled its physical confinements. Shin loosened his grip, the young woman falling to the ground, her neck bent in an awkward position. No one made a move to help or argue. Shin glanced around.   
  
"Move the body to the woods for the wolves." Two women walked up to the unmoving form, and quickly prepared for its disposal. Shin turned to the onlookers.   
  
"You all know the implications of joining the rebels. This is a reminder of the weakness we must fight and destroy. You agreed tot his," he swept his arm in a wide arc indicating the surrounding camp and weapons. It was true. The moment the rebels had been rescued from the wagons, they were given a choice, either freedom or revenge. Many wanted revenge on the people who had caused them so much pain. It was that need of vengeance that drives the slaves now.   
  
Natria's head jolted, her head hitting the bar she leaned against as they rode over a large rock. She winced and cursed as her hand went up to touch the abused area. A small trickle of blood ran a small river down her cheek and chin. Glaring at the smudge on her hand she rubbed her entire forearm over the small cut. She gave up, finding the blood wasn't going to stop. It would stop on its own.   
  
This endless ride had begun almost a day earlier and they were still moving. The sun was just over the horizon. Natria glanced at a young woman sitting across from her; she was mumbling something as she slept. Then her gaze made its way to Lucrezia. Her aloofness suddenly turned to interested curiosity when she noticed the stiff posture. Her hands were hidden from sight behind her back. Natria's eyebrow arched in question. Lucrezia's brief eye contact gave the message. They were going to try to make for an escape. For the time being, Natria tried to ignore Lucrezia's struggle with the bar. Natria cursed as they suddenly saw the beginnings of a huge fortress rise over the next hill. They were finally there and Lucrezia still worked desperately on the bar, her movements becoming jerky and faltering.   
  
The rebels all shifted to look up at the huge stone walls; their prison was approaching. The lookouts stood tall in their towers. Shouts were heard as the huge iron doors came into sight. Huge metal spikes guarded the entrance. The faces that stood staring down were overshadowed by the sun that stood behind them. Natria glanced over at Lucrezia and found she now sat looking just as doomed as everyone else. Her eyes caught the other woman's and then glanced down at her bloody fingers and ripped nails. Looking further down she spotted Relena who also had tattered fingers. They must have worked away the sealant holding the bars in place giving hem enough space to slip through the space once the bar was removed. There was a reason why they chose not to tell the others of their escape plan so Natria did nothing. The loud creaking of the doors being opened rang through their minds as the wagons creaked and groaned through the entrance. The women seemed to automatically pull closer together as if waiting to be attacked from all sides. As they rolled into the main yard, Natria took in the various devices against the walls obviously used for extracting information. It was clear some were not to come out alive. It was then Natria saw another terror. Many of the soldiers stared at the prisoners with hungry gazes. They had obviously been without women for quite some time. All eyes traveled in and out of the prisoners. Natria's lips curled in disgust. One soldier was back among the shadows, leaning casually against the stone wall. His demeanor was withdrawn as if he didn't care for being there. His jet black hair was pulled back tightly into a small horsetail. Just as they passed him, his eyes flew to the passing cart. Natria snarled at him when his gaze found her strangely colored eyes. It was as if he literally unfolded himself from his position. Without a second glance, he leaped on top of the cart, startling the men and horses. Shouts rang out in confusion and surprise.   
  
"Get that man off there. Soldier! What in the gods' names are you doing?" The young man ignored him and raised his arm, letting the sleeve fall back revealing a hidden switch. With a quick flick of the wrist a polished surface was released high above the fort walls.   
  
The commander of a force outside saw the shining signal. They had arrived. Now all that stood between him and those prisoners was a 100 foot wall, two feet thick and a fort full of drunk and out-of-shape soldiers. He smiled as he anticipated the battle ahead of him. Wufei was inside and they were going to get him out along with the prisoners.   
  
"Men! Ready arms!" All five thousand men raised their arms holding spears, pikes, swords, and axes. "Move out! Archers on my mark!" The commander was young, handsome, and looked incredibly ancient through his Prussian, bloodshot eyes. This hair was a rustle of brown hair, wild from the day's ride to this desolate fort. He had heard the rumor about the women slaves who fought with such ferocity that they were rumored to have the legendary Desperation Technique. If this was true, he would be one of the wealthiest men in the whole of the eastern border. Many would pay great amounts of money to obtain those who knew of the whereabouts of where the runaway slaves hid. It was said it contained gold to one's chin. Many of the goods were gathered from those who wished to help the slaves' movement as well as the legend says that a few of the first runaway slaves had found when trying to escape. It was abandoned thousands of years earlier. The treasure's location had been hidden for thousands of generations and many sought to find the treasure in the mountains. Some never came back down. They froze in the wintry snow and bone chilling winds.   
  
"Forward!" Unlike other armies, this one disbanded and crouched among the shadows, hovering in one place for only a split second. The archers tracked their commander. They drew closer to the walls. They were not well disciplined inside; no one came to attack a distant fort.   
  
"Ready the grappling hooks," he whispered the command, but it was instantly obeyed. "Ladders!" The men scrambled to the ladders and began to string them to the grappling ropes. The commander glanced around and saw they were almost ready. It was strange, by now, even a fort as disorganized as this should have sounded an alarm by now. He was confused by this.   
  
"Ready for breach! Ready!" He didn't bother whispering now. A cry from above stopped the command. Looking up he saw a figure waving his arms, crying something out.   
  
"Heero!" He yelled something, but it was lost in the wind. It was Wufei, which was quite obvious. Wufei saw he wasn't being heard so instead he signaled for them to stay where they were. He ran down the stairs and disappeared from sight. Moments later the huge gate began to roll back allowing the invaders' entrance. Heero ordered the men to move as he took two men as his cover. He slowly made his way towards the gate, skirting the wall. He slowly peered around the corner and saw bodies several unconscious or dead men. Without turning away, he signaled with his arm for his men to move forward. They moved smoothly into the fort, waiting for any kind of ambush. As they neared the courtyard of the fort, they found Wufei and the prisoners waiting for them. Every man that had stood in the yard was sprawled out over the ground.   
  
Wufei stepped forward, the women eyeing the approaching men suspiciously. Before he could say anything, one of the prisoners, a woman, stepped up next to Wufei. Heero took in the surrounding yard. The cart carrying the women was missing two of the bars allowing someone to slip through. The prisoners must have gotten out.   
  
"There are several of the men locked inside. You might want to send some men in to destroy them or burn down the fort would do the job," commented Wufei. Heero paid little attention to his friend. Instead he examined the prisoners who moved closer together. It would be best to persuade them that they were no longer prisoners, but give them reason to stay among the soldiers. As Wufei finished with his statement, Heero signaled to a soldier. He whispered quietly into his ear.   
  
"Send word to the others that from here on out, the se women are not to be harassed. Punishable by flogging or death."   
  
"Yes, sir." He left quickly to carry out his order. Heero slowly turned to the women. He put on a warm smile meant specifically to melt hearts.   
  
"We've come to the rescue, ladies, and we've come to take you out of the forest safely."   
  
Relena saw straight through this lie. He was hiding something. This man made her nervous and very conscious of her dirty appearance. These were odd feelings and foreign, something she hadn't experienced since childhood. That was why this man was so dangerous. S he had to protect the others, she had to protect herself.   
  
"We can find our won way out," she growled. Lucrezia joined her in their defense.   
  
"We can take care of ourselves. Thank you for your assistance, but it was unnecessary." The friendly smile vanished and turned into the true appearance of the man standing before them. He wore a cool exterior; his eyes were hard stones, giving away nothing.   
  
"If you don't wish to take our offer that is your choice. But I warn you these lands are dangerous. The trees here are hostile and the ground splits open without warning. The evenings are bitterly cold and the night crawlers, poisonous."   
  
"Some of these women know this region. We will leave on foot and travel towards the east and lose the Guard there," stated Lucrezia firmly. She turned and signaled for the women to prepare to leave.   
  
"Oh, one thing before you leave." Relena and Lucrezia threw him weary glances." I also happen to know where the dark haired girl is residing, the one who was taken away in the dungeons."   
  
This caught their attention. Relena stopped in mid-step turning to glance at the young man. Her eyes quickly connected with Lucrezia before turning to face him again. If Hilde was still alive then that left a danger for the others. Relena took a step forward followed by Lucrezia.   
  
"How do you know this?" she said crisply. Heero merely shrugged and reached into his vest pocket for a small wooden box.   
  
"I have a friend, acting of his own will who took her from the dungeons." Relena's eyes grew suspicious.   
  
"How could he accomplish this? He simply walked out with a prisoner?"   
  
"Basically, yes. You see, Duo is a half-demon. His particular lineage is of the mind. It is not difficult to manipulate a fickly minded soldier. He must have tried to make her talk by now. Whether he got her to talk, I do not know." This piece of information changed everything for the small band of ex-slaves. If someone was still loose within the enemy's clutches there was still great danger. Relena turned around to Lucrezia. This danger would have to be eliminated. With the brief eye contact with one another Relena turned to address Heero.   
  
Heero opened the box and pulled out a small pinch of fine dust. He leaned his head back, looking straight up and finally dropping the dust into his eyes. He blinked once or twice and finally turned to look at Relena with red irritated eyes. All the while, Wufei looked on with hidden disapproval.  
  
"You can lead us there?" she asked dully. He nodded as he wiped a tear that had formed from the irritation, falling from the corner of his eye. Relena made her decision and Lucrezia seemed to understand. They would not be returning after all. Lucrezia handed the leadership to Natria, who accepted without complaint, but her eyes held a deeper sorrow. Lucrezia knew she was to go with Relena and the thought did not scare her. They would probably not make it out alive again. Relena was now addressing Heero.   
  
"You will lead us to Arion and find this Duo," she ordered firmly. Heero gave her a sly smile, knowing she had just signed away her freedom.   
  
"As you wish," he said quietly. He turned slightly towards Wufei. "You will lead the rest out of the forest, do you understand?" he said with a hidden meaning. Wufei stiffly nodded and moved away to prepared his things. Relena watched the black haired man's movements suspiciously. Then her attention moved back to Heero.   
  
"We will leave at once," she said matter-of-factly. Heero wore a bitter smile. She would learn quickly that he took orders from no one. That included a deadly ex-slave.   
  
"We will leave when I see fit." Relena turned her sharp glare towards him in a snap. He continued. "The palace will be expecting a messenger pigeon announcing your arrival here at this location. We must secure the fort and send a false message. "Heero turned away as if it was the end of the discussion. Relena exchanged looks with Lucrezia feeling uneasy, as if she had just signed her soul to a demon. 


	8. Battle Cry of the Slaves Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
True to her word, Dorothy woke Quatre up from his fitful slumber, the following morning. His eyes felt as if they were crusted over with grime and his head was spinning from the exhaustion from the previous string of events. After his vision cleared, he sat up, holding a hand to his throbbing skull. Looking up, he saw Dorothy packing away jars of powder. Braul had obviously been sent to get supplies for the journey.   
  
"You need to get up," said Dorothy not hesitating in task. She spared him a glance at his lack of movement. "I see you're still weak. I suspected that so I arranged for two horses. You shall ride on one. If we are stopped, you will pose as my cousin. There will be guards everywhere. They know you're out there somewhere. We will take back roads." By now Quatre had finally gathered enough strength to sit up in bed; only to find he was trying desperately hard not to lose what little was in his stomach.   
  
"Where are we going?" Dorothy paused for only a moment before continuing.   
  
"We're going to Ezpa, it borders the Nolamdo River. When we reach the boarders we will find the Catalonia settlement. At some point or another, Quatre came to the conclusion that he should be grateful towards this woman, Dorothy, but that is as far as his feelings went. He did not need to be here anymore. But the mentioning of the wide search for him made him weary. Perhaps he could find a use for this woman, at least until he managed to find safety. All in all, he still wanted to test his limits with her. He carefully made his way to his feet and stood his full height, ignoring the dull throb in his head. He set his face in a stern expression. Dorothy had stopped to look at him. Her eyes were set in a quizzical expression.   
  
"What if I don't want to go to Ezpa?" Quatre growled. Dorothy calmly put down a jar containing her precious powders and turned back to place her hands on her hips.   
  
"You can't get out of here without my help. Even if you stayed here and waited them out, they'd do a sweep of the city. Maybe if you were one slave of that other group, they'd forget you eventually, but you're an ex-Patron. Don't look so shocked. I knew who you were the moment you left that carriage. The only reason why I didn't throw you back in is because I have a plan and use for you. If you choose to be difficult I will leave you here and tell the guards where you are and that you are in the city. You can't get far." Quatre felt his body tensing with every word she spoke. He was not an animal to be thrown around at will.   
  
"What if I simply killed you? Then you wouldn't have to worry about anything!" he growled through clenched teeth. His words were suddenly cut off as small tingling sensations ran up and down his spine. His back became stiff and immobile. There was a dull glow being emitted from around his neck. It was a collar being led by a long chain to another collar around Dorothy's. Quatre felt as if he was suffocating, yet he couldn't move. Dorothy moved forward slowly, relaxed with her arms linking behind her. Her eyes were narrow as a sly smile spread across her face.   
  
"You can't kill me." Quatre's face was turning bright red. "Last night, I had us linked. We share a soul now. If one of us goes, so does the other. Your body won't allow you to kill me."   
  
"Witch," growled Quatre. Dorothy's eyes narrowed.   
  
"No need for name calling. We're going to be together for a very long time. I suggest we make the effort to get along." By now, the glowing had faded away into nothing, as well as the chain. Quatre gasped and fell to the ground, his hands clenched, head hanging as sweat dripped slowly off his chin, splattering over the wood. His eyes were wide as he realized the enormity of what was happening. Suddenly, he felt a cool hand caressing his cheek. His head rose to stare into icy blue eyes. They were commanding. He felt his heart skip a beat quickly.   
  
"Don't fight me, Quatre Rabarba Winner. There is really no point." With that said, she threw Quatre's chin rather roughly from herself. "Get up. We have a long way to go by nightfall." She steadily returned to her packing.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cathy's vision was blurred at first, finding that the intense aching at her side prevented any immediate movement. Trying to keep her mind off the pain, she stared at her surroundings, raising her head slightly to get a better view. With a curse, she let her head drop back down, causing her to cringe from the sudden contact of skull against stone. Letting out a small hiss of air she raised her undamaged arm to nurse her bruised head.   
  
"I see you've finally woken up." Cathy turned her neck to try to see through the darkness, and failed eyesight still evading her. She knew who it was simply by the voice, so frigid and void of emotions. "You will begin your work in an hour." Grunting, he got up from his place on the stone floor and knocked once for the guard to let him out. As the guard fumbled for the keys Trowa turned and looked her up and down with a glacial expression. By now, she was attempting to sit up. "I wouldn't try to sit up quite yet. You'll need all the energy you can get." He turned but paused still facing the now open door. "If anyone asks, you are my wife come to assist me."   
  
"And if I don't comply with your requests?" Trowa wavered and motioned for the guard to relock the door. It was done with some irritation. Very slowly, Trowa turned back to the ex-slave. Without a second thought, he had his hand firmly wrapped around her throat and off the ground, pinned solidly against the wall. She gasped staring down at him. She clawed at his hand, trying desperately to be released, unable to fight because of her drained state.   
  
"You would not be foolish enough to turn down my generous offer." She was now desperately seeking air to fill her starved lungs. Just as quickly as the hold had her was she released, falling hard against the wall. Sputtering and coughing she caressed her abused throat.   
  
"You have the privilege of living another day. I would not compromise it so quickly." When she finally recovered her voice, it was hoarse.   
  
"Why *cough* why me?" she croaked out with difficulty. At first it seemed as if he wasn't going to answer her or that he had decided he would not hear her.   
  
"Because you survived… as did I." Cathy's comforting over her throat ceased. Her eyes narrowed in confusion.   
  
"I don't understand," she whispered, still weak from their last encounter.   
  
"The man who was in charge of me did the same for me as which I have done for you."   
  
"You were a…"   
  
"A slave, if that is what you wish to call it. I was more precisely a rich woman's toy who displeased her so I ended up in the arena." The memory obviously still made him irritable. Cathy tucked the information away fro later examination. "Eventually, I plan to leave and pay my regards to the woman who had me branded. Until then, I will continue to take slaves from death. It is small victory on my part, but it will do for now." By the look on her face he responded to her silent question. "I have no interest in any particular slave. They are nothing to me."   
  
"And how many 'wives' have you had then?" she said bitterly.   
  
"Two. You are the second."   
  
"What happened to the first one?" His face suddenly seemed even more pallid in the dim light.   
  
"She's dead." Cathy visibly paled.   
  
"What…"   
  
"It is late and a guard will escort you soon to the death room. Do not put up a fight or I will allow the guards to hunt you down next time and I won't stop them from doing their own designs." The meaning was quite clear. With that said, Trowa once again prepared to leave. This time the guard was prepared and he was escorted out quickly. Trowa briefly stopped the guard.   
  
"Make sure she is properly fed before evening vespers." The guard saluted as Trowa left, "Oh and one more thing, this disobedient woman is my wife. She is not to be touched." The guard bowed.   
  
"Yes Master Trowa." Satisfied, Trowa turned and began his long walk back to the death room. One name echoed through his mind. 'Midii.' 


	9. Battle Cry of the Slaves Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Hilde had hardly slept at all that night. The knowledge that the demon loomed nearby kept her awake. If she slept at all it was with one eye open. By the time the door was unlocking Hilde had driven herself into a near frenzy, like a cord wound too tight. The door swinging open was all that was needed to set her off. The familiar feeling of near death desperation filled her mishandled body with such ferocity that her movements were nearly impossible to follow against an ordinary human, but Duo wasn't an ordinary human. He saw her coming, knowing she had been waiting for him. Her legs swung up off the floor towards his shoulders and chest, she was practically airborne. Her legs were blocked, but the fire running in her veins pushed her on. Landing on the ground she ducked down in an unexpected fashion, shooting her foot towards Duo's knees, heel first. It missed and hit his thigh. He let out a cry of surprise. His reaction drove her further. Shooting back up brought one foot up to connect with his jaw. He backed away barely dodging the lethal limb. Not giving him a chance to recover she thrust her knee up clipping his side. Duo curled over slightly, favoring his injured flesh. The sounds coming from Hilde's throat almost sounded feral. At this point he was expecting her to strike out with her foot. She surprised him by twisting back in an awkward movement and lashing at him with a fist. He stumbled back by the mind-boggling blow. He stood hunched over, the cape shrouding him in a cryptic portrait. A drop of blood fell slowly to the ground. The sound of the blood hitting the floor was like a drum, the silent sound reverberating outward. Glass could be heard shattering. There were restless horses outside neighing hysterically. Shouting could be heard within several yards. Duo cursed and slowly reached up to wipe away the blood threatening to drip again. He slurped up the excess blood noisily. Hilde had stopped to cover her ears, shielding them from the silent thunder. Without blinking, Duo raised his hand in her direction, snapping his fingers wide; Hilde flew back hitting the wall hard, splayed wide open, shaking the dust from the rafters. At that moment, several young whores ran in and saw Duo hastily wiping the blood away. They all seemed genuinely concerned.   
  
"Duo! Are you all right?"   
  
"You're bleeding!"   
  
"Quick someone get a towel!"   
  
"You poor thing! What happened?" Duo grinned through all of this and suddenly smiled jovially, obviously not phased at all by what had happened.   
  
"I let her get a shot in is all." He laughed vainly. Hilde remained unnoticed as several of the women ran around grabbing clothing and supplies, packing them away.   
  
"You have to leave quickly. The entire district will be out for a demon hunt any moment. They'll come looking here first. Duo's face fell to one of severity. Quickly, he glanced at Hilde stunning her into limpness. One whore brought him his pack. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and slung it over his shoulder and across his chest.   
  
"Help me get her on my back." Hilde wanted to fight desperately, but found her body not listening. Before she knew it she was wrapped securely around his back. Her legs of their own clamped tightly around his waist. He gripped her hands firmly. Then they were out the window and jumping from rooftop to rooftop without pause. It was the most terrifying experience she had ever had, yet wonderful. At one point or another she realized she was now holding onto him of her own accord. For that very brief instant, she considered the possibilities of pulling the dagger he kept hidden in his belt and slit his throat.   
  
"It wouldn't do you any good to kill me while we are up here. Besides, that was something my father sent me, it will not harm me." Hilde assumed he simply read her mind, but evidently that was not possible. "My specialty is mind control, not reading. You heart sped up and your grip tightened considerably." Hilde gasped and nearly let go. Duo grabbed her arms just in time saving her from a quick fall. He chuckled, his deep voice rumbling in his throat, a very pleasant sound on the ears. For some reason, Hilde felt she could trust his word. He had not lied yet. Sighing, figuring she could do nothing else, she gently rested her chin on his shoulder and relaxed. Duo was slightly surprised by her antics. He did not force her to do that, so it was by her won initiative, and for some reason, the innocence of the gesture made him blush.   
  
"You said your father left your mother, but how is it he kept in touch with you?" Duo was surprised by the question, so she was paying attention. He cleared his throat.   
  
"Despite what humans think, a demon is very responsible with something he created, whether an evil creation or a half human child. He found out about me about six years after I was born."   
  
"Why so long?" He shrugged, but Hilde saw he was affected by the subject.   
  
"My mother died not long after my birth. Baring a demon's child can sometimes suck the life from the mother so the half-demon babe unwittingly kills and takes life by simply existing." He fell silent for a moment and Hilde though he was done, but he continued with a very morbid voice. "I lived in the whore house all my life, I became everyone's son at some point or another. I was teased horribly ever since I was able to understand who I was. Finally, when I was six summers old a group of other boys beat me with sticks and rocks, calling me filth and a whore's son, calling her filthy names as well. They were older and bigger than me. As you witnessed earlier, my blood is not regular human blood. Being half-demon and half-human, my blood does not belong in the humanistic world or the demonic one. So when my blood is lost in one world or another, it is not accepted. As a result, well, you saw what happened, but that was only one drop. Those boys spilled a lot of my blood. The blood brought out a deep fiendish being. My anger was incomparable by human standards. I was unstoppable. By the end, there were several smears on the walls of the alleyway. No one survived. I don't remember any of it, but when I came to I was in my bed and Father stood over me. He told me that demonic power, no matter how small it is, that is not controlled can cause irreversible damage, as I had demonstrated. He taught me how to control my powers and learn to use them. He was strict, but concerned. After I was 16 summers, he stopped visiting, but I kept receiving small trinkets and letters, telling me of the havoc he causes." Hilde felt him grin and she smiled a little too.   
  
"It's quite admirable, what your father did. A lot more than what a regular man would do."   
  
"Of course, like I said, demons take responsibility for their actions." Hilde smiled, seeing past that.   
  
"What your father felt was more than just responsibility." Duo turned his head slightly at the comment, nearly missing the fact that he had reached the city limits, almost falling off the last set of roofs. He kept going across the open land now. Fields sailed by with ease. Hilde shifted her arms in a more comfortable position.   
  
"What did you mean?" Hilde's weariness was catching up to her quickly. Her eyes slid shut of their own accord.   
  
"Huh?" she mumbled trying to stay awake.   
  
"What did you mean back there by my father?" She buried her head in the place where his neck and shoulder met and inhaled his smell deeply. He smelled like the smoke that came off of burning wood and the food that he had gorged on earlier. It was pleasant.   
  
"He loved you, Duo." He was stunned into silence. "You smell good. Like... morning at home in my village." And then she fell into the deep abyss of sleep. The half-demon wasn't sure wow to react. Placing a deeper sleep over her, he shifted her from his back into his arms as he ran. She sighed contentedly and snuggled in closer. His eyes softened as he looked down on her. A small smile spread over his face. For once, his heart felt at rest.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They traveled for another day and a half before Duo felt they were far enough to rest, only stopping to feed his burden for brief intervals. It was long past dark before he stopped to lay Hilde down in the tall grass under a quicksilver tree. He examined the surroundings. They now stood at the edge of a forest. The name of the tree came from the long hanging branches brushing the ground. The long leaves and branches glinted silver in the late night moon. Briefly, he hoped the women back in Arion were all right. If someone hurt them he would 'deal' with them later. They were as close to family, besides his father, to him. Setting to work quickly, he moved to his pack to pull out the flint. Setting those aside, he pulled out a large area of tall grass. Just as he was leaving the shelter of the quicksilver tree he glanced over at Hilde who lay still in a deep slumber. To be sure that she would not wake he put her nearly in a coma. Satisfied, he left to gather wood to burn. The night was welcoming to him it did not judge him as others did. Taking a deep breath he wandered deeper into the surrounding trees. Finding wood was a very simple job, not difficult enough to preoccupy the thoughts running rampant in his mind. 'You smell good.' The remembrance brought a blush to his face. 'It's quite admirable, what your father did.' Duo felt a warm wave rush through his body. 'He loved you, Duo.' That was the strangest comment yet. Is it possibly for his father, a full-blooded demon, to love someone? Grant it, Duo felt respect and pride for his father. With the pride came the despair knowing that he would never be able to fully live up to his expectations. That stung more than anything. One thing he couldn't stand the thought of was being a constant disappointment to his father. It was difficult to say how his father felt about his half-blooded son. Whenever something from him to Duo arrived on the doorstep, there was nothing that indicated where he rested, with the exception of the last gift. It was a dark portrait of a dying woman. She was torn and bloody, surrounded in darkness. The light in the picture radiating from her heart. She had a look of great fierceness, fighting the invisible enemy. Below written in an offset black was written 'Desperation' in demonic tongue, something his father had taught him not long before he left.   
  
After that fateful whim of a decision to enter the Patron Tournament and hearing the whispered words of the Desperation Technique and then seeing Hilde fighting in the exact fashion of the portrait only spurred him into action. She would lead him to his father, of that he was sure of. Witnessing the technique for himself, he only felt more resolve to find him. Hilde would be the key. He knew better than to assume directly that his father resided with these slaves, but somehow Hilde would be connected with all of this. He had read into the legend of this technique. It had not been practiced in over 1,000 years. Evidently the young women who had possessed this technique were hunted down one by one. The texts never explained for what reason. There was a value, a hidden key, that they held and the hunters a thousand years ago knew about it and cherished it. His thoughts wandered back to the portrait which was rolled up and placed in wax paper in his pack. He would examine it further when he had some time. He would simply put Hilde under again.   
  
Looking up, he realized it was time to head back to the quicksilver tree. Upon arrival he knew something was very wrong. Gently putting down the pile of wood, he silently stalked around the tree. Inside, a pair of red eyes stayed unblinking, waiting for him to return. The girl would be good bait to lure the half-demon inside. Getting a better sense of what waited inside, Duo stood straight and called to it.   
  
"Come out, demon." At first, there was no response. After several moments, Duo wondered if he was only being delusional and felt wrong. He began to blush. Just as he was going to return to his pile of wood, cursing, the tree's branches flew up in different directions billowing by the ends as they were attached to the trunk, revealing a huge half-snaked demon. It rose up before him, in its massive coils, Hilde was being held in a choking grip. Duo's deep sleep placed on her kept her from waking, but it was obvious she was in great pain. Duo crouched down, sizing up his enemy. The man's body at the head of the snake-like body was a sickly green, his slanted eyes glowing red, the large scales glowing in the night. He wore a sinister grin, baring a long tongue and set of venomous fangs.   
  
"So, you are the son of the demon Inferno." Duo's hands clenched at the mention of his father's name.   
  
"Yeah? And how can I help you?" he said cynically, crossing his arms casually, trying to hide the quaking in his stomach. He had never been faced with another demon besides his father, but he had been warned many times that demons did not take kindly to half-breeds. The snake hissed viciously, reflexively squeezing on Hilde. She let out a cry of pain. Duo had slowly been releasing her from her deep sleep, but forcing her body to stay relaxed. When she finally came to, Duo made her silent, but forced her to assess the situation. It would only make things worse if the demon knew she was awake.   
  
"I've been sent here by my master to give you a message."   
  
"And what may that be? I hope it's not some invitation to a party." P "Your insolence is wearing. I'll come straight to the point," he hissed merrily, obviously taking joy in the message he was bringing. "Inferno is dead. My master wishes to cleanse the demon line of its half-breeds and those who spawned them." Duo's face contorted into a look of rage. He held back knowing the demon was not finished. "I followed your trail to that whore house. Like father like son. To make sure you do not continue your father's deeds, I destroyed every single one of them. They were..." his tongue slithered out and perversely licked his lips, "Delicious." For emphasis, the snake let out a small burp and coughed out a couple of fingers. They landed with a thud on the grass, a sickly gray to each one. Parted from their owners long ago. Images of Duo's childhood ran through his mind. Sabe had been there for him, his mother when his real one had left him behind. She filled the parental hole that his father never could fill. The love that he had for her was only matched by what he could have felt for his own mother if she were alive. The news sank in quickly. His father... his mother... the women back home... they were all killed and by a gruesome monster as this. An inhuman growl ripped through the air as Duo's own eyes began to glow red. There were no bounds to his rage and fury. It was like a silent explosion, shooting out towards the snake, completely in shock. Duo felt his fangs growing, his ears lengthening out to points, eyes wider. It was a terrible sight as he grew angrier the unseen force became harder to withstand. The forces Duo gathered were absorbed into the spaces around him as his hatred, pain, and sorrow grew, demanding more and more space to fill. The animal like scream grew from his wretched throat. Duo felt his body was on fire with the very flames of hell. The snake's eyes grew in shock.   
  
"This isn't right!" he cried, his grip on Hilde becoming lax enough for her to fall through, crumbling on the ground, still unable to move. "He is only half-demon! He... he shouldn't be able to gather such energy." Duo's head rose to lock eyes with the snake, blood red through to the core, as blood tears fell from his cheeks, hitting the ground, now not shaking the ground as before. His face was a horrifying mixture of anger and lust for death. Hilde could hear what was happening, but could not see what happened to Duo. All she could discern was his pain and anguish this unfortunate snake had caused him.   
  
"I will respond to your master's inquiry and you will be my message." Hilde only heard the low growl and the painful cries of the snake, who tried to fight off the blood thirsty demon, only to fall victim quickly. The sound of flesh being ripped open churned her stomach. It was a slow death for the snake. Its cries could be heard for miles around for at least an hour. In its throes of death its body spasmed, nearly crushing Hilde. Shutting her eyes tightly, she awaited her death. At that moment, her mind was released and she did not hesitate in rolling away from the danger. Groaning from the stiff muscles and circulating blood, she slowly moved to a kneeling position and looked around for Duo. What she found made her lose what little food she had in her stomach. The demon stood over the dismembered body of his victim, covered with the gore, licking way the remnants. Hilde gasped in shock from the sight bringing his attention directly onto her. His face was even more terrifying than what he had done. It was mixed with blood and pure animal fury.   
  
She realized too late that Duo was not in control of himself. The bloody tears roll in a steady pool from his chin. Hilde realized he had somehow become a full-blooded demon. Struggling to force her limbs to move, she attempted to get away. Crying out, she was rapidly pinned to the ground. Duo snarled, revealing his pearly fangs.   
  
"Duo, snap out of it... Duo!" He wasn't listening. Growling, he lowered in for the throat, but abruptly stopped. He paused to sniff her clothing, catching the whiff of something familiar and dear to him. Gripping his head in agony, he stepped back crying out with a terrible scream. He leaned forward staring up with pained eyes. They flashed a few times before returning to their original violet. The fangs receded and ears shrank back to their original size. The steady stream of tears turned to salty droplets of clear liquid. His face was twisted in agony as the memories of laughing and smiling faces intruded upon him.   
  
"Hilde?" he gasped out in confusion. Not able to take the strain any further, his body collapsed putting him into a deep sleep. Hilde was frozen in horror. For a moment, she debated on leaving him and finding her way to the mountains, but a second look vanquished any idea of leaving. He was so lost and even... lonely. She would regret leaving him in the end, she knew that instantly. Sighing, she reached down and gathered him up, covering herself in the demon's blood. Grunting, she lifted him and headed back towards the quicksilver tree. Glancing around she was certain no one would come this way with a dead demon outside. Soon after, she set to making a fire and tending to Duo. 


End file.
